Narrative:Lufthansa German Airlines Flight LH592 was hijacked over Austrian airspace shortly after departure from Frankfurt International Airport (FRA). The aircraft, an Airbus A310-300, was en route to Addis Ababa (ADD), Ethiopia, via Cairo (CAI), Egypt, with 94 passengers and 10 crew. A lone Ethiopian male forced his wayinto the cockpit and placed a pistol to the pilot's head. His single demand was to fly to New York City. The aircraft refueled at Hannover, Germany, and was flown to New York (JFK). There, the hijacker gave the weapon to the pilot, exited the aircraft, and surrendered to authorities. His weapon was determined to be a starter pistol loaded with blank rounds. No injuries were incurred during the 11½ hour ordeal.

This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path. Distance from Frankfurt International Airport to Cairo International Airport as the crow flies is 2902 km (1813 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.